


take my breath and never let it go

by chaoticism



Category: IT (2017), Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Deal With It, F/F, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Richie and Max are best friends, all you gotta know is that none of them are straight, bev and jane are in love, pennywise still happened, what're you gonna do about it?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 00:08:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12947022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticism/pseuds/chaoticism
Summary: richie and will are both idiots and their friends are tired.





	take my breath and never let it go

**Author's Note:**

> hey! this is my second ryers work and honestly, i'm way more happy with this one than I am with the other, but that's alright. this is chapter is dedicated to matty, my favorite partner in crime. hope you like it, loser.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song from the chapter title is This Side of Paradise by Coyote Theory

_That was something. You definitely heard something just now._

 

Will stifled a groan and wondered if his brain would ever shut the _fuck_ up.

 

He glanced over at his clock, and in red glowing numbers it read **_3:24 AM_**

 

_Great_

 

Will’s mind ran rampant when the lights were turned off. His imagination seemed to run more wild than usual. At that particular moment, he was lying in his bed, staring up at the ceiling and trying to convince himself that every sound he heard was Jonathan’s snoring in the next room. After what happened Will never really got comfortable in the dark again, but who’s to say he ever was?

 

So there he lay, three years after the winter of 1984, achingly aware of his surroundings and nowhere near tired enough to shut his mind up and go to sleep.

 

His father would tell him to man up; To grow a pair, shut his damn eyes and go to _fucking_ bed.

 

Good thing his father was long gone.

 

It was that time of the year again. That time where the doctors brought out the abbreviation PTSD more and more, and it was getting much harder to get a full night’s rest.

 

Will shut his eyes tightly and tried not to ponder on that too much. He couldn’t– he’d been doing so well and he wanted to keep that going.

 

_Think about something else. Anything. Mom, Jonathan, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Max, El, Richie..._

 

_Richie._

 

Will relaxed for a moment, thoughts of his best friend flooding his brain.

 

Will missed Richie. His secret favorite of the Wheeler twins was visiting friends in Maine from when his parents sent him away for _behavioral issues_ of all things.

 

           Parts of Will was relieved that Richie hadn’t seen him like that, the parts of him that were glad that Richie only had their vague words to go off of when they decided to tell him the “whole” story. They spared a few details, of course. The party wanted Richie to be in the loop, not for them to get him killed. When they’d finished, Will remembers Richie telling him how _badass_ he was for cheating death twice. Honestly, it kind of bothered Will that Richie was so unfazed by it. He didn’t assume they were lying or trying to trick him, he went along with it so nonchalantly and it was odd.

 

But he promised he’d ask about that another day.

 

Along with that, Richie was the only person that didn’t baby him. He treated him like a force to be reckoned with and made sure he knew that he was. _Will fucking Byers, cheater of death, survivor of horror, cutest boy I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting– Ow! Will, what the hell?_

 

He couldn’t get mad at his family for treating him the way they did, though. How could he? They were worried about him and they had every right to be. Will was a mess and he would never be one to disagree with that. He was just thankful that, in his own way, Richie was a mess too.

 

Will knew if Richie were there he’d think of a million things to do to tire him out, and another million things to talk about afterward. He knew that Richie would get him to sleep because he always did.

 

_You miss him._

 

Of course, Will missed him! Richie was his best friend.

 

_Crush, he’s your crush._

 

Will winced at his thoughts and turned on his side.

 

His brain was a such a bitch sometimes.

 

_________

  
  
  


“Richie!” Max shot up from the table and ran to hug her friend. Will beamed as Richie wrapped Max into a hug. Max and Richie were about as close as he and Will were. Will thought it was so nice to see two of the people he cared about the most wearing such genuine smiles on their faces.

 

“Never leave me for that long again,” Max mumbled into the crook of Richie’s neck and she felt her body vibrate as a laugh erupted from Richie’s chest.

 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He pulled away from her and gave a small, but sincere smile. She returned it happily before dragging him back to their spot underneath an old oak tree.

 

“Welcome back, Trashmouth.” Lucas grinned, not looking up from his homework and Richie almost let his lips pull up into a smile.

 

Almost.

 

Will knew Richie and Lucas cared about each other, there was no doubt about that, but they would never really show it. It was odd watching Richie, one of the most affectionate people he’d ever met, refrain from slinging his arm around Lucas’ shoulders or throwing him into some lame joke that made him groan.

 

“Glad to be back, Sinclair.” Richie nodded as he sat next to Will.

“Why didn’t you write me while I was at war, William?” Richie mocked an English accent, which earned him an eye roll from the smaller boy.

 

“You were gone for three days, Rich.”

 

“I still would’ve liked a call!”

 

“We can all confirm that Will waited next to the phone like a lost puppy waiting for you to call because he didn’t want to interrupt you and your old friends,” Dustin spoke up and El laughed as she nodded.

 

Will’s face went red as he tried to search for words that would save him from the embarrassment he felt.

 

“I think you’re getting me confused with _you,_ Henderson.” Will snapped back and Max grinned.

 

“Nah, I’m not whipped like you are.” He taunted.

 

“Dustin, cut it out.” Mike cut in, breaking his own silence.

 

Richie watched the exchange and shook his head. He would never admit it, but he missed their antics.

 

“S’alright, William. I know you missed me.”Richie wrapped an arm around Will and planted a messy, wet kiss on his cheek.

 

“Richie! Will shrieked and Max let out a laugh.

 

“Aw, come on, Willy Wonka. I thought we decided that after I came home we’d tell everyone about our undying love for each other.” Richie joked, but Will’s heart stopped. _It’s just a joke, he’s just joking._

 

“Come on, Chee. Cut it out.” Will nudged the taller boy away and regretted his decision immediately after realizing the loss of warmth.

 

“Why are you pushing me away? You know I’m a human space heater, Bev told me so herself.” He boasted proudly. Will grinned at the red tint in El’s cheeks and let himself get pulled back into Richie’s side. She and Bev had met once before in the summer of ‘86 and _really_ hit it off.

 

“H-How is she-- Beverly?” El tried her best not to sound desperate as she rose both eyebrows and popped a grape into her mouth.

“She’s incredible. My darling girl, Bevvie, has near-perfect grades, a decent job at the grocery store, and a huge crush on _you,_ Miss Thing.” Richie pointed at her and El almost choked.

 

“You good?” Dustin asked quietly as he rubbed her back. Mike bit his lips to suppress his smile and Lucas shook his head.

“She said that?” El forced out and Richie nodded with a mischievous smirk.

 

“Don’t get too excited, El.”

 

“Shut up, Max!”

 

“Ow! What the fu–”

 

“Language,”

 

“Fuck off, Mike.”

 

“Enough,” Will rested his head on Richie’s denim-clad shoulder.

 

The smaller boy would never notice how Richie’s face went as red as El’s a few moments prior. The rest of the party sent the older teasing looks after Will shut his eyes. Richie only held up his middle finger and hoped they’d go back to do their damn homework.

  


Richie would never admit out loud that he had a crush on Will Byers. And have all his friends be proved right? He’d rather die.

 

But at the sight of the boy with the dark circles underneath his eyes so comfortable and so _content,_ Richie’s heart did a flip. He wanted to keep the soft look out of his eyes, but he couldn’t. And that’s how he knew how royally fucked he was.

 

Max cleared her throat and his attention was slowly averted to her piercing green eyes.

 _You’re so obvious,_ she mouthed and he rolled his eyes.

 

 _Fuck you,_ he mouthed back and with that. They went on with their day.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> leave a comment and kudos, I'll update soon!


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